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The Many Benefits Of Surya Namaskar And Why You Should Practice It Daily

Rujuta Diwekar says that surya namaskar has managed to stand the test of time and is the only practice which bridges the gap between strength and calm.

By: DoctorNDTV Updated: Mar 6, 2018 07:28 IST

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One should focus on consistency of doing surya namaskar daily

HIGHLIGHTS

One on left and one on right completes one round of surya namaskar

Surya namaskar helps in strengthening your back

It can help in having a radiant and ageless skin

Surya Namaskar is the classic yoga exercise which is known to have endless health benefits. Surya namaskar is a combination of a 12 yoga asanas which help blending the mind with the body and breath. It is known to revitalise body and bring a refreshing effect on mind, if performed early in the morning. So as part of Fitness Project 2018, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar suggests doing surya namaskar every day. She has been sharing fitness guidelines for everyone to adopt on her facebook page as part of this project. According to her, surya namaskar has managed to stand the test of time and is the only practice which bridges the gap between strength and calm.

In her post on Facebook, she begins by telling how in ancient times, children in India used to perform surya namaskar 5 times every day. It was a part of their daily routine, just like brushing, eating, bathing, etc. She gets candid and tells about her grandfather Ajoba, who passed away at the age of 87. It was noon time when he died, but he was done with his household chores by that time and also his surya namaskar.

According to Rujuta, practising surya namaskar has the following benefits:

1. It gives you a strong muscular back

Because of our poor posture and constant tendency of staying inactive, we tend to lose strength in the back. A strong back is required for the health of our spine and to build a connection between the strength in our overall body and our mind. Feeling weak physically and aggression in the mind can sighted as a sign of a weak back, writes Rujuta.

Photo Credit: iStock

2. Offers ageless and radiant skin

It might sound surprising but yes, surya namaskar can help us achieve a bright and fresh skin. According to Rujuta, skin is undoubtedly the reflection of our health. The better the skin, the healthier we are. A healthy and clear skin is a sign of healthy kidneys, heart, liver and numerous other organs.

Surya namaskar is said to work directly on our thyroid, pituitary and adrenal glands. It improves metabolism and also enables us to have pain-free periods. Surya namaskar improves Vitamin D levels in the body and enables glands to work effectively.

The basics of surya namaskar

In her post, Rujuta specifically mentions that it is important to fix one place at home which should preferably have good ventilation. Also, one should work on fixing a particular time to do it, preferably at sunrise or sunset. Pre-breakfast and post-bath are also good times for doing surya namaskar.

Beginners can begin with breathing normally and focus on the correct posture. One on right and one on left completes one round of surya namaskar.

Photo Credit: iStock

Special instructions to make progress

Rujuta says that beginners should do only 2 rounds every alternate day initially. They can then progress to 2 rounds every day from the 3rd week. Thereafter, one can increase 1 round in every alternate week.

She also stresses that one should prevent increasing surya namaskar rounds very regularly. One should first achieve the target of being consistent. Say, for instance, set the target of not leaving the house without doing surya namaskar. 5 surya namaskar in a day is considered a good number. If one feels like increasing the number, wait for at least 12 weeks, she suggests.

Photo Credit: iStock

Last but not the least, one should make sure that they do surya namaskar regularly, and not miss it even on Sundays or holidays. Do no less than 5 rounds and no more than 12 rounds in a day, writes Rujuta.

She says that is more important to improve with every step rather than focusing on increasing the number of rounds mindlessly.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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